Natural farming grows fast in Northwest
.... .... . . —* . o n Arn r\ r _
Dy junn iyiillo
Of the Emerald
A revolution in farming will
take place in the Northwest over
the next 10 years, predicts
author and scientist Larry Korn.
Speaking to an audience of
mostly organic farmers at the
University Wednesday, Korn
said "natural farming" is ideally
suited to the Northwest This is
because of this area's
ecological diversity — from east
ern Oregon deserts to coast
tidelands — and it’s similarity to
Japan, where natural farming
originated.
Natural farming — a process
of farming without using most
man-made aids — already has
progressed faster in the North
west than in any part of the
country, he added.
Korn, who is currently a soil
scientist in Sacramento, spent
four years on the Fukuoka Farm
in Shikoku, located south of
Osaka on the inland sea. The
Fukuoka family has been grow
ing rice on the farm for the past
1,300 years.
Masanobu Fukuoka has
spent the last 30 years develop
ing a system of "responsible
agriculture" that imitates close
ly natural processes. He doesn’t
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Japanese method shuns pesticides
plow or till his fields, uses no
chemical fertilizers or pest
icides and does "virtually all
the work by hand,” Korn said.
Fukuoka was known first in
Japan as a spiritual leader who
believes nature and a person’s
fate are most fertile when left
alone, and efforts to plan or
manipulate either are misguid
ed. Farming, like any other task,
is a reflection of a person’s self,
Fukuoka believes.
When farming is more closely
in tune with nature, the farmer’s
self changes as well, Korn said.
Fukuoka’s methods largely
were unknown until the 1973 oil
crisis panicked Japanese
farmers who were heavily
dependent on petroleum.
"They began to look around
for alternatives, and there he
was,’’ Korn said. "He kept
traditional Japanese efficiency
in the use of space and tremen
dous inputs of labor and com
post to keep up high productivi
ty, but he wasn't going back
ward."
Korn pictured Fukuoka’s
methods in slides. Several crops
are grown in the same field —
rice in the summer and barley in
the winter. The crops grow
through a continuous crop of
white clover that chokes out
weeds and provides fertilizer
after it's been cut. Seeds are
scattered on top of the soil in
stead of being planted in rows.
"Fukuoka doesn't get con
cerned if a corner of a field is
devastated (by insects) because
he knows that it won’t get out of
control like it would in a single
crop field,” Korn said.
Korn said Fukuoka scatters
vegetable seeds between trees
in his orchard. The plants revert
to a heartier and woodier vege
table that requires little care.
Fukuoka’s methods are as
productive as conventional
techniques and ‘‘accentuate
the land” instead of depleting it,
Korn added Fukuoka's or
chards are more productive
I heard that women who take birth control
pills are more susceptible to yeast infections. Are
there any other conditions that encourage yeast
infection?
Yeast-like organisms are normally found in
harmless quantities in the vagina and rectum of
healthy women. When the vagina’s naturally
acidic environment is altered, as it is with birth
control pills, these organisms may grow profuse
ly. This results in vaginal irritation and discharge.
Taking antibiotics such as tetracycline can also
allow yeast-like organisms to grow unchecked by
reducing the amount of natural bacteria found in
the vagina.
Other women complain of yeast infections
following their menstrual period. The alkaline pH
of menstrual flow provides a favorable environ
ment for such infection. Women with this problem
might try douching with vinegar (two tablespoons
vinegar to one quart water) the week following
menstruation.
Pregnant women and women with diabetes
are more susceptible to yeast infections. In both
of these conditions the vaginal cells tend to store
a greater amount of sugar. These women may find
it helpful to cut down on the amount of sugar and
refined carbohydrate in their diet. However, once
a yeast infection has started these measures
won’t cure it, and a doctor should be consulted
for treatment.
Are there any sexually transmittable diseases
that can be caught from a hot tub or hot springs?
Sexually transmittable diseases are caused
by organisms whose ideal environment is the
human body. Most of these organisms would not
survive in a hot tub or hot springs.
However, Trichomonad, a single-celled par
asite that infects both men and women, can
survive for several hours at room temperature on
a moist object such as a towel or toilet seat. It also
may be able to survive in water. But in a hot tub
the chlorine would often kill the Trichomonad.
Also, the larger the volume of water, the less likely
it is that a person would come in contact with
enough organisms to cause an infection.
The chance of catching a sexually transmit
table disease in a hot tub or hot springs is proba
bly not great enough to warrant giving up such a
pleasureable activity, but the precautionary mea
sure of bringing your own towel is a good idea.
This column is written by Planned Parenth
ood, 134 E. 13th Ave. 344-1611. Please send
questions to Suite 300 EMU or to Planned Pa
renthood. Planned Parenthood is a private, non
profit, United Way agency.
Forum to debate Reagan cuts
The effects Pres. Ronald Reagan’s budget
cuts will have on Lane County citizens and mer
chants will be the topic of a public forum Satur
day, May 9 at 11:30 a m. at Harris Hall.
Similar gatherings are being held throughout
the country on that day.
The forum is sponsored by the Action for a
Fair Budget Committee, a local and national
coaliton of more than 100 citizen groups. Infor
mation will be presented and public testimony
heard to show the effect of the proposed budget
cuts on the community.
Guest speakers will be state Sen. Ted Kulon
goski, D-Junction City, and Rep. Margie Hendrik
sen, D-Eugene.
Vice Admiral John Lee will discuss the impact
of military spending on human services. Lane
County Labor Council president Irv Fletcher will
outline the effect of budget cuts on the local
workforce. Also speaking will be representatives
of various Lane County agencies.
Public testimony will be solicted in an open
forum attended by representatives of local, state
and federal governments.
For more information contact Rick Hart of
Legal Aid at 342-6056, Felice Nirenstein of
Client's Council at 689-0299 or Julia Fallansbee of
the Oregon Women's Political Caucus at
686-8517
Rubbish cleanup begins today
Several Eugene neighborhoods will make it
easier for residents to clean up their rubbish
beginning today as part of Spring Clean Up Week.
Sani-Pac dumpsters and BRING recycling
barrels will be placed in the West University,
Whiteaker, Far West and Fairmount neighbor
hoods for residents use
Dumpsters in the West University Neighbor
hood will be located in front of the West University
Center at 1458 Ferry St., at the corner of 16th
Avenue and Patterson Street, and in the alley of
14th Street between Mill and High streets.
The West University Center also will be
opened May 9 at 8:30 a m. for seniors, han
dicapped and people with large loads to call for
assistance to move their rubbish.
Also included in the cleanup will be historic
preservation tours of the East Skinner Butte
Landmark area and the West University Neigh
borhood.
May also is fire prevention month, and the
Eugene Fire Department will offer fire safety
checklists to neighborhood residents.
Spring Clean Up week will run through May
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chards, but not all the citrus is
marketable because of a scale
that affects the skin.
Korn said Fukuoka’s methods
are spreading throughout the
Northwest largely through the
efforts of TILTH, an organiza
tion promoting organic farming.
Korn currently is editing a book
on natural farming with TILTH
entitled "Permaculture for the
Northwest.” Korn also has
authored a book about Fukuoka
called “One Straw Revolution.”